Why Michael Maguire cancelled his interview with the Canterbury Bulldogs

[TalDog]

Why Michael Maguire cancelled his interview with the Canterbury Bulldogs
Paul Kent, The Daily Telegraph
43 minutes ago
Subscriber only
DES Hasler withdrew from the New Zealand coaching job because he said it appeared the Kiwis were looking for someone who was probably still not aspiring to be an NRL coach.

Michael Maguire met with Canterbury after Hasler was sacked last season. Before the interview started he asked to see the club’s books to assess its salary cap position.

Once he saw the books he immediately terminated the interview. He was not prepared to waste everybody’s time by taking it any further.

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Maguire was confirmed as Kiwi coach on Friday.

The former premiership winner with South Sydney was coveted by both the Bulldogs and the Titans after he left the Rabbitohs at the end of last season.

He’s contracted to coach the Kiwis through the 2021 World Cup, but that could be cut short if an NRL job came up.

The Bulldogs salary cap nightmare is well known — a series of back ended deals from the Hasler era have crippled their ability to target big name players.

Hasler has left the club in total disarray.
Former Kiwi international Greg Eastwood is earning $800,000 and playing reserve grade while star outside backs Josh and Brett Morris will be moved on at season’s end to ease the cap pressure.

The club is also shopping around Moses Mbye, who is under contract until the end of 2020.

Fan favourite and former captain James Graham was also let go, only to experience a resurgence with St George Illawarra.

 

[Dawgfather]

hahahaha all I can do is laugh.

The situation is honestly a shambles. Hasler deserves to be hounded day and night when people see him in public.

If I saw the bloke at the pub/shops/on the street i'd give him 5 minutes of the best profanities he's never heard.

 

[CroydonDog]

Just playing Devil's advocate for a moment - would we all still be so upset about the salary cap situation IF Hasler delivered a premiership?

I can only assume this was the reason for the madness.

I can also appreciate that he would probably till be coach if he did get us one, Dib would possible still be chairman, and we would never have known about this mess....

 

[Mr Shhh]

Every time I read the Feastwood is on $800k I want to vomit. Nothing against him but fuck me Roman

 

[BELMORE]

Where’s that lawyer guy that posts on here? Can we pursue him legally for anything? If what have read is correct (fitting 14 players into 800k with a minimum 100k salary) isn’t that some type of business mismanagement? And NRL signed off on this? How does it work...

 

[Spoonman84]

Just playing Devil's advocate for a moment - would we all still be so upset about the salary cap situation IF Hasler delivered a premiership?

I can only assume this was the reason for the madness.

I can also appreciate that he would probably till be coach if he did get us one, Dib would possible still be chairman, and we would never have known about this mess....

If it worked then you can handle the pain a few years after but when you don't win and you still get the pain after as well then that's a problem.

It was one massive swing at a premiership and we missed.

 

[Mr Shhh]

Just playing Devil's advocate for a moment - would we all still be so upset about the salary cap situation IF Hasler delivered a premiership?

I can only assume this was the reason for the madness.

I can also appreciate that he would probably till be coach if he did get us one, Dib would possible still be chairman, and we would never have known about this mess....

Or, he gets poached by another team for $2 mil a year and leaves us anyway. Just like Manly

 

[Dawain87]

Sounds bout right... all the job interviews ive been to ive always asked to see the books beforehand to see if theres a chance for a raise...

 

[Spoonman84]

I think this is McGuire trying to boost his ego a little bit he was never really considered.

 

[TOTTO]

Thank god he cancelled don't rate him at all.

 

[The Dominator]

Hasler and the previous board are quite literally the most inept bunch of idiots ever to represent the blue and white. Absolute jokers.

 

[Interestingg]

It’s still so baffling that Hasler tried to keep a premiership window open by putting very average/plodder players on huge back-ended contracts. It just doesn’t make any sense

 

[_G-Dog_]

With Eastwood $800K, paying half of Graham s around $900K & Perrett of our books at the end of 2018 and the cap going up I still dont understand how we have cap issues

 

[berries1935]

As i said previously, surely Des Hasler is unemployable in the NRL now....id love to see him in the street one day

 

[Vlasnik]

Hasler and the previous board are quite literally the most inept bunch of idiots ever to represent the blue and white. Absolute jokers.

I wouldn't call them idiots!!! More like con artists that took us for a ride. The pain and humiliation in knowing this is unbearable.

 

[The Dominator]

I wouldn't call them idiots!!! More like con artists that took us for a ride. The pain and humiliation in knowing this is unbearable.

I just thank god that the members had the good sense to eradicate the lot of them despite the fact there were some extremely loud and influential figures still willing to back the previous admin. Brave effort from the members.

 

[CMP]

With Eastwood $800K, paying half of Graham s around $900K & Perrett of our books at the end of 2018 and the cap going up I still dont understand how we have cap issues

Because everyone left has heavily backend deals.

From what I understand. Eastwood was on $250k for the last couple of years. With his final year (2018)going out to $800k.

The current squad is full of players earning much less this year than they will earn next year and beyond.

We are also paying multiple minimum wage players. Much more than minimum wage.

It is a case of throwing everything to get a quick premiership and coming up short.

Combined this with poor recruitment & retention over 5+ years. We are still on our way down & yet to hit the bottom.

We are almost at the stage it could be better to give all players the option to check their value on the market. Anyone that can get their deal with us at least matched. Is free to go. ANYONE.

Make no mistake. We are in all sorts for a few years to come!

 

[doggieaaron]

Hasler/cleal/castle what a trio and to think we paid them to fuck our club

 

[Novdoggie]

Where’s that lawyer guy that posts on here? Can we pursue him legally for anything? If what have read is correct (fitting 14 players into 800k with a minimum 100k salary) isn’t that some type of business mismanagement? And NRL signed off on this? How does it work...

I don't think you could take legal action but the NRL should step in and not allow Hasler or any other coach for that matter to take on another coaching role or at least serve a suspension before they do. The NRL needs to support all teams from this continually happening.

 

[obje]

Former Kiwi international Greg Eastwood is earning $800,000 and playing reserve grade

You just have to laugh.

Robbie Farahs situation comes to mind, but this time we've got about 6 Robbie Farahs.

What a fucking joke